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Uefa’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) has granted a 3-0 win to Serbia over Albania for their abandoned match in the Euro 2016 qualifier but at the same time also deducted three points including a stadium ban. The game played in Belgrade was stopped before the first half ended, when an Albanian nationalist flag was flown by a drone into the ground and which caused a brawl among the players and the fans.
The disciplinary committee of Uefa awarded the game to Serbia with a 3-0 win. Serbia were also ordered to play their next two home matches in a closed ground without any fans. Serbia are scheduled to play their next home Group I Euro qualifiers against Denmark and Armenia.
Albanians to appeal against the verdict
The football federations of Serbia and Albania were also penalised with a fine of 100,000 Swiss Francs ($105,000) each for their conduct. The decisions of Uefa's CEDB are open to appeal by any of the teams.
News agency AFP reported that the Albanian officials denounced the verdict and declared that they will appeal against the decision.
The President of Albania Football Federation remarked while speaking to a private TV station Ora-News that they had expected to be awarded the victory.
"I am disillusioned because we were claiming a legal verdict from UEFA,"
"I do not understand what precedent this may set when a squad physically beats the opposing players on the pitch. I do not know if there is a greater scandal than this."
The coach of Albania Giovanni de Biasi also put forward his disappointed by saying:
"They took away from us what we deserved on the pitch,"
"What should happen now?"
The Albanian federation lawyer Artan Hajdari told that they are going to appeal on the loss. The Serbian FA also said that they were going to have an emergency meeting on Friday.
The acts that caused the ban and the fine
The infamous match in Belgrade witnessed loud jeers and demeaning shouts of the Albanian national anthem. The fans of Serbia targeted the Albanian players with flares and other objects. The banner flown in by a drone carried a controversial map of "greater Albania" which included Greece, Macedonia and Serbia.
The Balkan countries Serbia and Albania have a history of displeasure for an area called ‘Kosovo’ which is a Albanian-dominated Serbian province. The Serbian government has not recognised Kosovo’s independence of 2008.
The Serbian defender Stefan Mitrovic pulled down the banner which several Albanian players snatched. The act resulted in a fight and heated arguments among the players and the fans. English Premier League referee Martin Atkinson, who was in charge suspended the play in the 41st minute with the score at 0-0. Uefa abandoned the match after a 30 minute delay.
